


Pardon my French

by Rohad



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 16:00:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10131803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rohad/pseuds/Rohad
Summary: Traveling abroad in France Ruby is hopelessly lost; but at least she's not alone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the "RWBY big bang" event Artists and writers were paired together to create new content for the fandom. If you wanna see the art done for this story check out my artist partner sunn-wukongg on tumblr.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> ~Rohad
> 
> [So I just started taking German on this semester, which is why Weiss is German, because I remembered her name is German and figured 'why not' and tossed the idea out, but I also don't really know any German yet so that's why it's not actually that important. I took French in High School too. . . if I remembered any of it this story would've really been my time to shine. Oh well. I hope y'all liked the story! It was so adorable and cute and I think that it's awesome! It'd be so cool to visit Paris, but 1,000 dollars for a plane ticket there and back. . . not exactly cheap. Hope y'all liked the story and have a good day too!]-ODST110

"So... if I'm here... than... my hotel is... down there?" Ruby glanced up from the map.

She'd been wandering around the city for the better part of an hour and still had no idea where she was. She could still see the Eiffel tower no matter where she went so she was still somewhere in the middle of the city.

She adjusted her heavy pack on her shoulders with a sigh. She suddenly wished she'd paid more attention during her one year of high school French so she could just ask someone where her hotel was; as it was she was left juggling between her map and an English to French dictionary while Parisians sneered at her atrocious accent.

She wasn't sure if it was because she was american and they just didn't like her or if the French really were as rude as people said they were.

Either way, she wasn't having a lot of luck with the locals.

She stopped, throwing her bag on a bench and plopping down beside it, studying the map. If that way was north and she was here... She traced her finger across the streets before stopping on what should be her hotel, in theory.

She sighed to herself as she glanced up and down the street. One or two stores and a restaurant, but on the corner at the end of the street was a storefront with tinted windows and glowing green neon sign.

'La Balise'

She didn't know what that meant but she understood the little words underneath meant bar.

Shouldering her bag she walked quickly down the street to the bar, sneakers scuffing against the concrete. Maybe if she was lucky someone could tell her where the hell her hotel was.

The old mustached man behind the counter nodded to her when she walked in and sat herself on a bar stool, dropping her bag onto the floor next to her. He walked up and looked at her expectantly.

She quickly flipped through her book and shakily ordered her drink of choice, at least she hoped that was what she said, it was hard to translate the names of drinks when you barely knew the basics.

He gave her a look, whether because she ordered the sweetest drink possible or her non-existent command of the language was anyone's guess.

She dropped her chin in her palm and glanced around the bar.

It pretty much looked like any bar back home. Beat up but decent looking tables, a coin operated jukebox attached to the far wall and one or two people scattered about quietly drinking by themselves at this early hour of the day. The only difference of course being all the signs were in French.

A flash of white caught her eye just as she was turning back toward the bar.

Sitting a few seats over from her was a woman, around her age if she had to guess, in a light blue skirt and blouse, but what really caught her eye was her hair; it was the whitest hair she'd ever seen.

Not bleached, just white. Stark white like the snow. She couldn't help but stare at the long pure white strands pulled into a high, off-center ponytail that still draped down her lower back; until the blue eyes attached to that hair were suddenly looking back at her.

She whipped back around to face the bar, uncomfortably aware that the woman was still looking at her.

Thankfully the mustached barkeep came back with her drink.

"Merci," She smiled, relieved to have something to occupy her attention, even if the stranger wasn't looking at her anymore.

She took a long drink and contemplated if she wanted to pay the price for an oversea call and call Yang, just to tell her she was lost in Paris.

She could just hear her sister's laughing from here.

Groaning, she decided against it she sipped on her drink, chancing a glance at the woman sitting at the bar.

She spluttered, finding those blue eyes staring back at her.

"Quelle?" She asked in a harsh accent that Ruby immediately knew wasn't french; Czech maybe? German? She at least knew what she was asking.

She flipped through her book quickly.

"Uhh... Rien!" She shook her hand nervously in the face of the otherwise pretty woman's glare.

Those annoyed blue eyes looked away from hers to eye the book in her hand.

"English?" She questioned tentatively.

Ruby perked up, it had been days since she'd met anyone who spoke English.

"Yeah!" She smiled brightly. "It's been days since I've been able to talk to anyone."

"What do you keep staring at?" She spoke in perfect, heavily accented English with a glare.

"Oh..." Ruby shrunk back. "I was just... looking at your hair..." She admitted sheepishly.

"My hair?" She repeated, looking quite unimpressed by the explanation.

Ruby nodded, embarrassed.

"Uh... yeah... It's... really pretty..." She stared at the bar and took a long drink from her glass, anything to keep her mouth busy at this point and avoid further embarrassing herself.

A scoff came from her left, she glanced at the stranger who had turned back to her own drink.

"Thank you." She mumbled.

For once, Ruby's desire for company over rode her social awkwardness.

"Your accent…" She started cautiously.

The woman was looking at her again, not at hostile as before but it still wasn't the friendliest look she'd ever received.

"Pretty sure that's not French… German?" She asked.

The white haired woman seemed to brighten up a little at that.

"Berlin." She answered with a nod.

"Ooh, what's it like?"

Before she could get an answer she slapped her forehead with her palm, making the other woman's blink.

"Ah, sorry, that's rude, I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose." She introduced herself with a grin, sticking out her hand.

The woman stared at the offered appendage a moment, that awkward feeling began creeping in when she made a noise that might have been a breath of a laugh.

A dainty hand reached out and grasped Ruby's, her skin was cool to the touch.

"Ms. Schnee" She introduced herself. "Weiss Schnee. You're american, yes?" She asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Ruby laughed.

"Loud and rude, yes, it's obvious." Weiss said as Ruby turned red.

"Oh… well… yeah." She fumbled for a reply making Weiss smirk at her sputtering. "So… I speak virtually no french and have been wandering around lost for the last hour, do you know where Le grande hotel is?" She asked hopefully.

Weiss pursed her lips, looking back at the glass in front of her.

"No… I've been looking for it myself." She admitted after a moment.

"I'm starting to think this place doesn't exist." Ruby sighed, downing the last of her drink and pulling a few Euros out of her jeans and laying them on the bar as she hopped off the stool and shouldered her pack.

She stopped, turning to Weiss who was watching her.

"I'm gonna keep looking, since you're looking for the same place you're welcome to come with me if you want, I could use the company." She offered.

Weiss stared back at her, mouth twisted up in thought before she finally turned back to the bar and laid a handful of bills down.

"I suppose it's better than waiting here." She answered, gracefully sliding off her stool. Even in a pair of off white wedges she still stood a couple inches below Ruby.

"Great," Ruby smiled brightly as they walked back out onto the Parisian streets.

Ruby pulled her map back out, holding it out so Weiss could see it.

"It's supposed to be down here somewhere…" she pointed to a spot on the map.

"That's on the other side of the city, you dolt." Weiss sighed.

"Oh. Explains why I'm lost." She chuckled, embarrassed. "Well, better get going." Ruby said, invigorated by her newfound company, though she was rather quiet as they walked down the bustling city streets.

After a few minutes of walking she couldn't stand the silence anymore, she never was one to let emptiness go unfilled.

"So, what is Berlin like, if you don't mind me asking." She glanced over at her silent companion.

"Large and busy." Was Weiss's answer, making Ruby snort.

"Well, I figured that, it's the capital after all. I was thinking more culture wise." She explained.

Weiss hummed as she strode alongside her, wedges making quiet tapping sounds as she walked.

"I'm not sure what I could tell you, it's just everyday for me, I have nothing to compare it too." She admitted.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Ruby nodded to herself as she glanced down at the map, making sure they were moving in the right direction.

"Where are you from?" Weiss asked, trying not to sound as interested as she actually was.

"Me? I'm a California girl." Ruby grinned, jerking a thumb to herself. "Always sunny, 75 and the people never stop going." She told the German. "I thought it'd be fun to backpack around Europe for a bit after getting my degree. This was my last stop before I go home." She glanced around before stopping at the end of the street.

"What is it?" Weiss looked over at whatever caught her attention.

"There's the Arc de Triomphe." She pointed across down the street. "I gotta go see it." She trotted across the street toward the arc, leaving Weiss staring at her back before following the strange american across the roundabouts up to the arc,

"Oh, wow." Ruby stared in awe up at the white stone archways and intricate carvings. "I've seen pictures of it but they just aren't the same." She said as Weiss walked up next to her. "What are all the names for?" She asked, looking at the rows of french names carved into the walls.

"Don't you know anything?" Weiss looked at her incredulously.

"History wasn't really my subject." She shrugged. Weiss sighed.

"The arc de triomphe was built to honor those who fought and died in the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars. These are the names of Generals and battles won." She explained.

"Ooh." was Ruby's response.

Pleased that her new acquaintance seemed suitably impressed by the information Weiss went on.

"In the vault beneath it is the tomb of the unknown soldier as well."

"You're just a fountain of knowledge, huh?" Ruby smirked.

Weiss, not sensing her teasing tone, preened under the presumed compliment, making Ruby snort as she pulled out her phone and snapped a handful of photos of the beautiful carvings and surrounding area.

If one or two of them happened to catch her pretty companion in them also admiring the architecture than that was just how it went.

"We should be going." Weiss reminded her.

"Yeah," Ruby sighed looking at the magnificent arc one more time as they crossed the road down the street that lead toward their hotel.

"Why don't we just take a cab." Weiss suggested.

"But then I'll miss everything!" She clutched the map.

"We are supposed to be looking for our hotel." Weiss insisted, planting a fist on her hip.

"I know, but it's on the other side of the city, meaning we'll go by everything anyway." She reasoned.

"There is not enough time in one day to see everything you probably want to see." Weiss insisted.

"I know…" Ruby mumbled. Weiss sighed.

"We can make one stop, via cab to someplace on the way to the hotel." She bargained. Ruby's smile nearly blinded her as she pulled open the map, scanning their path to the hotel.

"Notre Dame Cathedral is pretty close to it…" She said hopefully, peaking over the top of the map.

With a noise she most certainly would not call a grunt she nodded, making Ruby grin as she hailed a passing taxi.

"Notre Dame," She said simply to the cabby who nodded as they climbed in

The ride was spent with Ruby constantly chattering as she watched the scenery of Paris pass by the window.

Weiss throwing in her own two cents whenever Ruby stopped for air, like when they drove across the bridge over the Seine river.

"Weiss, there it is!" She jabbed her finger against the window as they drove up to the monumental cathedral.

When they climbed out, before Ruby could even stick her hand in her pocket Weiss was handing the cabby a shiny black card. He slid it through a machine attached to his phone before handing it back with a nod of his head before driving away.

"I could have paid for half at least, Weiss." She said when her companion turned to her.

"Don't worry about it." She waved away her concerns as they started toward the cathedral.

Ruby's complaints were quickly forgotten as they stood in the shadow of the massive gothic church.

"It's huge..." She gaped, staring up at the towering building.

"It is quite impressive." Weiss agreed, admiring the building.

"Only a lot." Ruby mumbled, snapping a couple photos of the buildings outside. "Let's go!" She took off toward the entrance, Weiss struggling to keep stride with the taller woman.

The inside didn't disappoint either.

Massive stone pillars lined the walls, stretching up into vaulted ceilings, ornate golden chandeliers hanging between each one.

A wide path lead between rows of wooden pews up to a large ornate altar where light filtered in through 3 large rose tinted windows.

"Wow," Ruby breathed as she wandered down the aisle, careful to avoid the small handful of parishioners at the front as she quietly snapped pictures of the inside, for once doing her best to be quiet, respecting the monuments capacity as an active church.

It really lived up to the hype, or Ruby thought so at least as she admired the old carvings and beautiful stained glass windows that casted rainbows of light against the stone.

Weiss followed her through the building to the bottom of a flight of a tall spiraling staircase.

"According to the internet, we have to go up the stairs to the north tower." Ruby pointed up.

Weiss pursed her lips as she stared up at the ever winding staircase before looking back to Ruby's grinning face.

"No."

"But Weiss...!"

"How… many… steps... are...there?!" Weiss huffed, holding herself up by the railing.

"Only 387." Ruby called from a few steps ahead, not the least bit out of breath.

"What!?" She wheezed.

"We're there though!" She called down as she stepped onto the landing, looking down at Weiss.

"Verdammte treppe." Weiss grumbled something in what Ruby could only assume was angry German.

"Come on Weiss, check it out!"

Weiss climbed onto the landing, trying to catch her breath.

"This better be good..." She mumbled.

Ruby was moving toward the open archway in the tower, marveling up at the giant bell hanging from the rafters.

"That is a big bell." She said, snapping a picture.

"If you dragged me up 400 stairs to look at a bell..." Weiss trailed off threateningly. Ruby laughed nervously.

"No, no...out here." She beckoned Weiss after her as she walked out the archway onto a balcony that encircled the tower.

With a frown, Weiss followed her out, stopping at the sight before her.

The city stretched out around them as far as the eye could see, the people and cars moving through the city streets looked so small from on high. A handful of fluffy white clouds completed the view.

"You can see the Eiffel tower from up here." Ruby pointed at the tiny looking black tower standing out against the horizon.

Weiss couldn't help but giggle at that.

"You can see the tower from just about anywhere in the city, Ruby."

"Well... yeah… but just look at it!" She threw her arms out, gesturing to the grandeur of the city before them and Weiss had to agree.

A warm summer wind blew through the open tower, whipping their hair and clothes.

"Geez!" Ruby laughed, pushing back her short hair as she turned to Weiss. Her breath caught in her throat.

The bright afternoon sun was bouncing off Weiss's alabaster hair, almost blinding in the light as she brushed the long strands caught by the wind back over her shoulder, a few stray hairs framing, what Ruby was just now noticing was, a stunning set of features,

Soft blue eyes offset by a sharp nose and gently sloping jawline that held a pair of full lips made her heart speed up more than the climb up the stairs.

She didn't realize she was staring again until Weiss was staring back, Pale colored brows dipping between ice blue eyes as she glared, but just as quickly as it came, it went, morphing into…something else.

Seeing Ruby again staring at her, Weiss's immediate response was to scold her but she stopped short, noticing for the first time that her companion's eyes were the most peculiar shade she'd ever seen.

Like freshly polished silver; they glinted in the sun, sticking out against the short, black and red tipped locks that perfectly framed her round cheeks and brilliant smile.

"W-what? Is there something on my face?" Ruby stuttered, reaching up to touch her now pink cheek.

"No, it's nothing, I was… lost in thought is all." Weiss quickly made up an excuse.

"Oh… right." Ruby nodded, looking away from the beautiful German girl to the sneering and snarling gargoyles that lined the balconies railing.

She took a few photos of them and the view, well aware of the now oppressive silence between them.

Did she make Weiss uncomfortable? Ugh, probably, she was an expert at putting people off. She could apologize... but for what? Sorry you're so attractive I couldn't help but stare. Yeah, that would go over big.

"You're such a doofus…" She grumbled to herself.

"Ruby," Weiss called, making her jump.

"Y-yeah?" She turned back to find the other woman barely looking at her.

"We should get going, I'm supposed to check in within the hour." She informed stiffly.

"Oh, right… me too, let's go." She agreed.

The cab ride to their hotel was just as quiet, Ruby wanted to say something but couldn't think of anything.

When they arrived Weiss again paid for the cab ride before Ruby could do anything.

This time she didn't protest, just quietly followed the other woman into the lobby.

"How can I help you ladies?" The man behind the counter asked in his heavily french accented english.

They both internally sighed in relief that he spoke english.

"I'm checking in, Ms. Schnee." She said and he nodded, typing something into the computer before handing her a keycard.

"Here you are mademoiselle Schnee, the Suite on the top floor, you bags arrived a few hours ago." He informed.

She nodded, accepting the the keycard.

He turned to Ruby expectantly.

"Ruby Rose."

A few clicks and he was handing her her own key card.

"Room 308 on the third floor, mademoiselle Rose."

"Thanks," She nodded following Weiss to the elevator.

Once inside they were again left in the quiet up to the third floor.

She stepped out into the hall but turned around and laid a hand on the door to keep it from closing.

Weiss blinked, staring at her curiously.

"Uh, Weiss, I was wondering if you'd... let me treat you to lunch tomorrow? I mean... as thanks, you paid for our cabs and you kept me company all day, which I really appreciate..." She trailed off nervously.

"I can't." She answered after a moment. "I'm in the city on business and I have to attend to that in the afternoon."

"Oh..well, its..." Ruby started.

"I should be done by evening though if dinner would be alright…?" She finished before Ruby could think of anything to say, if she looked a little flustered, Ruby was too surprised to notice.

"Uh... Yeah!" She agreed with a grin. "8 o'clock?"

Weiss nodded and with a quick goodbye Ruby stepped away from the elevator, letting the doors slide close.

She quickly skipped off to her room with a grin.

Ruby spent the next day wandering around the city and visiting the rest of the places on her list. The Louvre was great, even if she couldn't take the (all in french) tour. You really didn't need to speak at all to look at art.

She picked up a few little souvenirs and just enjoyed the atmosphere of the iconic city. She was going to be on a plane back to the states come morning after all, she had to get in as much as she could.

Around six she took a cab back to the hotel to shower and change before her dinner with Weiss.

She'd been traveling for a few weeks so she was kinda short on fresh clothes, she pulled out her black button up and gave it a whiff. It smelled ok and it didn't have any stains on it; it and her jeans would have to do.

At 8 o'clock on the dot she was knocking on the door to Weiss's suite. Her new friend seemed the type to be punctual so Ruby figured she had better be as well. At least for tonight.

The door opened to reveal her company for the evening wearing a a white summer dress, accented with a baby blue sash tied around her waist.

"Heya, Weiss." She gave a little wave.

"Good evening, Ruby. Your timing is impeccable." She complimented.

"Ah well, that's not the norm, trust me." She chuckled. Weiss quirked a brow at that and she cleared her throat nervously. "So, you ready to go?" She hooked a thumb over her shoulder.

Weiss nodded, walking out into the hall, locking her room door behind her.

"I found an English speaking local who told me about this bistro place near the Eiffel tower that's supposed to be really good if that's okay?"

"That sounds fine." Weiss nodded as they climbed into the elevator.

"Great," Ruby said, more to herself than to Weiss.

The cab ride to the restaurant was quieter than Ruby would have like but she couldn't for the life of her think of any good conversation starters.

Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

Once they sat down that thought only intensified as she opened her menu to find the entire thing in French.

"Oh no..." She mumbled from behind the leather bound menu. She peeked over the top to find Weiss starring at her menu, unperturbed.

"Uhhh," She stared hard at the lines of foreign text in front of her, willing them to become legible.

"Something wrong?"

She looked up to see Weiss looking at her.

"No, no everything's fine." She lied, burying her head back in her menu.

"Ruby."

She peeked back up to find those blue eyes twinkling in amusement.

"I know you can't read it." She smirked. Ruby flushed, staring down at the table. "I can't either." She continued.

"Oh..so...what should we do?" She asked.

Weiss hummed to herself before flagging down the waiters until they had one who spoke english.

He suggested a few things before taking their order. Once he was gone and it was silent between them again Ruby grasped for something to start a conversation.

"So, you said you were in town on business... what do you do?" She tried.

That seemed to do the trick, Weiss visibly brightened.

She listened intently as Weiss told her about her family's energy business and how she traveled around and helped set up new branches around the world and Ruby told her about her life in Pasadena where she lived in an apartment with her sister Yang and their friend Blake.

They continued to talk till long after their food arrived and was gone, until Ruby caught a glimpse of her watch.

"Aw man, it's almost eleven." She said.

Weiss looked down at her own watch, just as surprised by the time.

"It's getting pretty late and there's one more thing I wanna do…" Ruby smiled

Weiss quirked a brow in silent question.

"I think this is even better than Notre Dame…" Ruby thought aloud, leaning against the railing as they stood on the second floor of the Eiffel tower overlooking the entire city of Paris. Street lights as far as the eye could see shining in the dark, the crescent moon hanging in the sky provided little light.

"It's hard to compare night and day, but it is beautiful." Weiss agreed standing beside her, looking out at the city.

Ruby hummed in agreement, resting her chin atop her arms folded across the railing.

They stood together in the first comfortable silence since they'd met.

She took a chance to glance over to look at Weiss who was looking out at the city with a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

How was it possible for her to be even prettier in the dark?!

She was so busy admiring the woman beside her she didn't notice when she turned to look back.

"What?" Weiss asked, sounding annoyed.

"Nothing, I was just… thinking, sorry" She shrugged, leaning back away from the railing. "You know, Weiss…" She started. "This was really fun, I don't think I would have had such a good time the last two days if I hadn't bumped into you." She admitted, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"It was... interesting." Weiss admitted though the little smile on her face betrayed her and made Ruby's heart jump. "We'll have to do it again." She added, much to Ruby's surprise.

"I'd love too, but at eight am tomorrow I'll be on a plane heading back to the States." She frowned.

"You're going home already?" She asked and Ruby nodded.

"I've been out here for almost a month now, I only allotted myself a few days for every stop so I could see as much as possible and I have, and it's been great… I think this was the highlight though." She admitted shyly.

"Well, at least you got as much as you could out of it." Weiss said, turning to look elsewhere. "It's getting pretty late, we should head back to the hotel." She suggested.

"Uh, yeah, okay…" She wasn't sure what to say to the sudden change in mood.

They cab ride back to the hotel wasn't silent but Ruby could tell that Weiss was lost in her thoughts., her answers short.

The lobby was deserted as they walked silently to the elevator. Ruby wondering what had happened.

When the doors opened on the third floor as Ruby stepped out Weiss stopped her.

"Thank you for dinner, Ruby."

"It was no big deal. It was fun. Well... Goodnight, Weiss."

"Gute nacht, Ruby." The doors slid closed and Ruby sighed as she walked down the hall to her room.

It had been fun, up until whatever had happened to change Weiss's mood.

"Guess I better pack..."

At six am the next morning a yawning Ruby, with her bag strapped on her back rode the elevator down to the lobby.

She expected an empty lobby at this hour of the morning. What she didn't expect was to find Weiss, sitting in a chair reading a book.

"Weiss, what are you doing down here so early?" Ruby stopped. Setting down the book Weiss stood and walked up to her.

"I… thought I'd see you off at the airport." She said, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles in her skirt.

"You don't have to do that." Ruby said, unsure of what else to say to the statment.

"I know. I want to." She said, already walking toward the lobby doors, leaving Ruby to follow.

The airport was bustling with people even at this hour of the morning.

They stood together in the middle of the airport rather awkwardly.

Ruby looking curiously at Weiss who seemed to have trouble keeping eye contact.

"Thanks for coming with me." She started, unsure what else to say. Weiss straightened up, blue meeting silver for the first time that day.

"Have a safe trip." Weiss told her as they stood outside her gate.

"Thanks. As fun as it's been it'll be nice to be home again. I know Yang is probably worried about me." She smiled, Looking down at the shorter woman. She was going to miss the abrasive businesswoman she'd come to know over the last two days.

"You're doing it again." Weiss grumbled, eyes narrowing.

"Huh?" Ruby blinked.

"Staring, we were standing on the Eiffel tower last night but you were staring at me and at Notre Dame and when we met at La Balise." She finally called out the other woman.

"Sorry... I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable... it's just.." She swallowed thickly. What harm would it do? She was never going to see Weiss again. "You're so beautiful I can't help it." Her face was red hot even before she could finish saying it.

She peeked up at Weiss who's cheeks were red as tomatoes against her pale skin. Blue eyes wide, staring back at her in wordless shock.

A voice over the loudspeaker called for the boarding of her flight.

"It was really fun, Weiss." She smiled shyly at the still stupefied woman. "If you're ever in my part of the world… look me up... I'd love to show you around Pasadena." With those parting words and an even redder face she turned and scurried off to her gate, unaware of her name being called in that familiar accent as she wound her way through the throngs of people, not stopping until she was safely inside, wedged into her seat.

Her face was still hot even after they took off.

"I can't believe I said that." She groaned to herself, flopping her head back and staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"Yang would be proud…" she snorted to herself as they rolled down the tarmac.

She thought about the lovely german for several weeks after returning home but three months later she had nearly forgotten about Weiss.

Until one day when she returned home to the three woman's shared apartment.

"Hey Rubes!" Yang called from the couch. "You got a call while you were out."

"Someone actually called on the house phone?" She asked, hanging her jacket up on the hooks.

"I know, right? I wasn't sure what it was at first." Yang laughed. "I could hardly understand her though, she had some kind of super thick accent."

"Accent?" Ruby froze.

"Yeah, like... Austrian or..." Yang trailed off.

"German," it wasn't a question.

"Yeah, that's it! I took a message for ya, it's on the counter." She barely finished the sentence before Ruby was sprinting to the kitchen and grabbing the yellow notepad sitting next to the phone.

Scribbled in Yang's chicken scratch was a number and a name.

'Weiss'

Ruby chewed on her lip as she stared down the paper.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked from her place at the kitchen table, working on her laptop.

"Fine… just... nervous? Excited?" She wasn't sure.

"Who is she?"

She jumped, looking over her shoulder at Yang, who had followed when she'd practically run full tilt into the kitchen.

"Uh... just... someone I met while I was in Paris..." She trailed off, imagining the European beauty that sometimes popped up in her dreams.

Yang grinned as she watched her sister's cheeks turn pink.

"Did you have a little affair in the city of love?" Yang drawled with a horrible french accent and a grin as Ruby's pink cheeks turned crimson.

"No!" She practically shrieked. Yang just giggled. Blake smirked, watching the sister's exchange.

"But you wish you did." Yang guessed. Her smirk turned into a shit eating grin as her red faced sister stayed silent.

"Yang, leave her alone." Blake mercifully came to get rescue. "Call her, Ruby." Blake encouraged.

"Right, yeah." She pulled out her phone and typed in the number; she hesitated only a second before hitting call.

It rang four times before someone picked up.

"Hello?" The familiar voice filtered through the speaker.

Ruby's mouth went dry.

"Hey, Weiss…" She tried not too sound to nervous.

"Hello, Ruby." The voice was just as harshly accented as ever but the tone was friendly.

"So, this was kind of a surprise, what can I do for you?"

"Well, you said if I was ever 'in your part of the world' you would show me around." Was the simple answer.

"Oh! You're in Pasadena?" Her eyes widened. She shoved Yang away when she leaned in, trying to hear the other side of the conversation.

"Yes, on business. So?" She asked expectantly.

"Oh, yeah! I'd love to show you around." She smiled goofily to herself until she saw Blake and Yang watching her with grins. She spun around so they couldn't see her embarrassed face.

"Wonderful, are you free tomorrow?"

"Yes!" She said eagerly. Somewhere behind her she heard Yang snickering.

They talked quietly for a few more minutes before hanging up.

She turned around, grinning widely to see Yang and Blake looking at her expectantly.

"So, you're gonna 'show her around the city.'?" Yang asked with a grin as she air quoted.

"Don't say it like that." Ruby grumbled. "I AM going to show her around the city." She insisted.

"Uhhuh.." Yang hummed, chuckling as Ruby punched her in the arm.

"So, what's she like?" Blake asked.

"Well, she's from Germany and she's really smart and she can be kind of... stiff... but she's really passionate about her family's business." She listed off.

"Is she pretty?" Yang asked, leaning against the counter.

"She's gorgeous." She didn't mean to say it out loud, especially now that that Yang was wagging her eyebrows at her.

She groaned and Blake chuckled.

"You took a lot of photos on your trip, do you have any with her in it?" She asked.

Ruby pursed her lips, eyeing her sister.

"I'll be nice." Yang sighed.

Ruby flipped through her photos till she got to the one she was looking for. Weiss and her standing at the bottom of the Eiffel tower, right before they went up. She was beaming into the camera and much to her delight Weiss had a small smile of her own tugging at her lips.

She handed the phone over to Blake who seemed surprised while Yang was more vocal.

"You weren't kidding, sis." Yang whistled.

"She's lovely." Blake agreed, handing Ruby back her phone. "You like her." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah..." Ruby trailed off.

"Ya know, looking you up after three months...she must like you too." Yang pointed out.

"You think?" She asked hopefully.

Yang and Blake just smiled.

"Okay, you got this, Ruby." She talked herself up as she stood outside Weiss's hotel room door.

Screwing up her courage she knocked.

A few moments passed before the door opened to a familiar face.

"H-hey, Weiss." She smiled nervously.

"Hello, Ruby." She smiled and Ruby thought her heart was going to pop out of her chest.

"So, ready to see the city?"

"Lead the way." Weiss nodded holding out her hand. Ruby blinked before realizing what the business woman wanted.

Gingerly she took the outstretched hand in her own, doing her best to smother the goofy grin on her face.

"Right… let's go."


End file.
